4.
Senior
The Guild Hall was huge with the rounded ceiling that
reached to the skies with the motifs and caricatures of the universe on it. The
four of them were seated beneath the rounded ceiling with the surrounding walls
lined with racks of assorted designs and in between the racks were the status
of the departed fighters and leaders of the Guild. There were six past leaders
and only one worthy fighter to have its place.
“The dead demon you killed is believed to be named
Apep, the one who was known as Lord of Chaos. However, we believed that to be
untrue on the demon’ name. The demon you killed was one of the demons from the
Underworld. It may had been called up from there by the cult members of one
other named Imhotep the High Priest. They await his return here but his soul
had contaminated the followers.”
“But we killed the demon…” The lady snapped in.
“Kill is not enough, my daughter. You have to
terminate the demon so that it will not rise once more. What you may had done
was kill its current shell but the soul lived on.” The Master of the Arts told
the lady then unhooded the cloak and showed a radiant face with the blue eyes,
and her hair was cropped short unlike most local ladies. They were seated there
with Abraham and one other was an associate of the Master; Sheikh Omar
El-Harun.
“Which is why I have invited Abraham Van Helsing to be
with us. He is a hunter of the demons. I have known him for sometime when I
travelled north” Master Osis introduced then introduced the others.
“Sheikh Omar El-Harun, Master of the Ancient
Knowledge; a scholar and yet he pursued a path to eradicate the demons that
have purged the land here. He assisted me much in the understanding the demons
and how to terminate them.”
“My daughter whom I believe have introduced herself to
Abraham. An embarrassing action of her which she has tainted the family name. I
do apologise, Abraham but in our land, the ladies are to be ….”
“To be at home and obey the father but I am the
daughter of Master Osis…” The lady voiced out in defiance.
“And you may not be if I were to marry you off soon.
Then you will be the obeying your husband and not a care of mine.” Master Osis
cautioned the daughter.
“And you won’t until you can find one that could
manage your daughter and not tarnished the family name.” The lady replied once
more in defiance.
“May the God teach me how to suffered with his
daughter of mine.” Master Osis looked to the Sheikh. “Perhaps the ancient
scrolls could show me the light to my problem.”
“On your daughter, I have none nor of sons that could
I offered.” Sheikh Omar replied. “I hold her close to my heart like my own
daughter and her antics are reserved for you. With me, she is a pretty lady
with affection of a daughter towards me.”
The lady then took the cue to serve more tea to the
Sheikh and the guest but ignoring the father. His stern expression made her
change her mind and served the tea.
“Master Osis, I hold no answer to the appearance of
the demon but its not Apep. It’s a conjured demon of the likes that only one
could bring from the underworld to serve its purpose.”
“You speak of the unspeakable one. Why would he do
that now when before this, all there was of him was his followers doing his
acts of murder and pillage.” Master Osis looked to the Sheikh.
“You speak wisely on that. The followers were doing
that but they did more than pillaging. They have taken some of the ancient
scrolls from the Citadel archive. Long hidden there and forgotten but access
allowed to the few like myself.”
“The ancient scrolls? I thought they were destroyed by
the Romans for they feared the magic it could perform.” Master Osis cut in. “I
never knew it still exist.”
“It was never destroyed. It was the useless scrolls
that were delivered to the fires. The ancient scrolls could not be burned by
fire made by Man but by the flames of the Underworld. It survived through the
circles of time and then it was hidden for centuries. Only the selected
scholars are allowed access to it. That was also done under the watchful eyes
of the Desert Guardians. They are to take your life if you are seen to be a
threat or influenced by the scrolls.” Sheikh Omar explained. “The scrolls do
have its own life and it may taint the innocent or the unwary ones. The
Guardians knew the sighs and their punishment is a merciful one compared to the
one when you served the demons from the scrolls.”
“Like the one we killed.” Abraham had been listening
then spoke up. “Terminated?”
“Yes, you killed the shell of the demon but it lives
on. It’s probably in another form now.” Sheikh Omar replied. “The shell you
killed is one named Master Isiah of the Persian descent. He was with us at the
Citadel for some years and was an ardent student of the scrolls. He was given
the needed caution and even the protecting talisman and spells should he be
intruded. I guess he had failed and serve the release demon.”
“A body elongated like the serpent and move like one.”
The lady decided to add her weight to the discussion.
“True, one that resembled Apep but not of the Lord of
Chaos. It’s a manifestation of another. The serpent is a servant of the
powerful demons as depicted in many readings of the different faiths. The
serpent by itself is evil but it held a servitude to the powerful demons. Its
form that could move rapidly and squeezed in tight enclosures had its use by
the demons to do the evil acts.”
“Or to influenced others.” Abraham relate to his own
faith on the role of the serpent. “I have disliked those creatures.”
“Pray tell us, that this demon is not of the unspeakable
one.” Master Osis cut in. “Our forefathers have hardly survived their last
battle with it. They could only banish the unspeakable back to the Underworld.”
“And from there, the unspeakable had remained for an
eternity but as you have said, killed but not terminated. It lives on there,
and of recent times, its influence can be seen to grow wider and stronger. Even
the rumours spoke of the circle of Sheikhs are intruded upon and some have
professed loyalty towards it.”
“Pardon the stupidity in me but who is the unspeakable
one?” Abraham asked.
“You are what you claim to be. If we said unspeakable
then that it’s the name we can used.” The lady hit back at the Northerner. “It
could be the sands that colluded your mind.”
“Hasnah Isis, your manners tarnished the family.
Apologises to Abraham now.” Master Osis displayed his anger at the errant
daughter.
“No, Master Osis. The apology should come from me to ….
Hasnah Isis.” Abraham replied. “I am the fool here not to understand the
discussion.”
“Then perhaps I could help. I will have my servants
sent over some reading materials which may tell you more but need not hear from
us or anyone of the demon.” Sheikh Omar cut in. He then looked at Abraham.
“Where is your abode on your city?”
“Huh? Oh, Its in the local rest house next to the
Guild.” Abraham replied. “I hold a room above at the rear.”
The Master of the Arts cursed quietly at his daughter
when he saw the gleam in her eyes. He regretted not marrying her at the age of
fifteen to the distance nephew of his whose father was an oil trader. The young
lad was scared of his wits when Hasnah appeared over his bed dressed in white
and wield a dagger at the groin. She had told him if he was willing to be
castrated. The young lad left that early dawn without taking back the gift he
brought for the engagement. That was also the end of the family ties with the
other cousin and others soon took their distance.
“Maybe she will be married far away.” Master Osis
muttered to himself.
“I will get more tea, father.” The lady took to her
task much to the surprise of the father. It was unlike her but maybe the sands
got into her mind too.
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